List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
This is a list of both active and inactive Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards created by professional wrestling journalist, Dave Meltzer. The first fourteen awards were created in 1980 as an informal poll between Meltzer and his friends and others he corresponded with on the subject of professional wrestling at the time. After starting the Wrestling Observer in 1983, the awards took on a greater life, with an increasing number of awards given out every year. The awards were created to recognize the individual achievements of a select few wrestlers who exemplified in a specified criterion. The awards are given on a yearly basis in various categories such as Best Overall Wrestler, Most Outstanding Wrestler, Best Tag Team, Most Improved, Match of the Year, etc.; there are also a handful of awards to recognize the dubious distinctions in the business during that year such as Most Overrated and Worst Worked Match. Currently, there are thirty-seven categories that are actively assessed every year and ten that are no longer active. The awards are voted for by the readership of the newsletter, which includes various insiders of the industry, such as promoters, agents, and performers, as well as journalists, historians, and fans. The awards are organized into two categories. For category A awards, voters indicate their top three choices. First choices are awarded five points, second places three points, and third places two points. The choice with the most points overall wins. For category B awards, voters simply indicate their top choice. Over the years, various institutions of mixed martial arts have become eligible to win some awards that seemed as though they were more deserving than the conventional wrestler. This led to, in 1997, the creation of Shootfighter of the Year and Fight of the Year to recognize MMA achievement specifically, but some awards remained intact for MMA to win, due to the similar business aspect between both sports (i.e. Best Box Office Draw, Promotion of the Year). In the December 3, 2007 edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was announced that from that year onwards, mixed martial artists are no longer eligible for the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award, thus reserving it for wrestlers only. Shootfighter of the year was renamed to Most Outstanding Fighter to match a new award called MMA Most Valuable Fighter, which is similar to the Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award except it is for Mixed Martial Artists. Current awards '"Category A" awards' Lou Thesz/Ric Flair Award (Wrestler of the Year) MMA Most Valuable Fighter Most Outstanding Wrestler Most Outstanding Fighter (formerly Shootfighter of the Year) This award is given to the best mixed martial artist each year. Tag Team of the Year This is given to the tag team who could carry an entire tag team division by itself. Best on Interviews This award is given to the wrestler who has been involved in the most entertaining and best received interviews during the year. Promotion of the Year This is given to the most valuable promotion each year. Best Weekly Television Show This is awarded for the best Wrestling/MMA show on TV. Pro Wrestling Match of the Year This is given to the best professional wrestling match each year. MMA Match of the Year This is given to the best MMA match each year. '"Category B" Awards' United States/Canada MVP Japanese MVP Mexico MVP Europe MVP Non-Heavyweight MVP Women's Wrestling MVP Women's MMA MVP Best Box Office Draw Feud of the Year This is given to the most intense/well done feud between wrestlers. Most Improved This is given to the wrestler who had shown the greatest improvement over previous years. Most Charismatic This is given to the wrestler who has drawn the strongest reaction from the crowds because of his charisma and presence. Best Technical Wrestler This is given to the wrestler who has displayed the best technical and mat wrestling skills. Bruiser Brody Memorial Award (Best Brawler) This is given to the wrestler who has had the most intense and crowd-engaging brawls. Best Flying Wrestler This is given to the wrestler who has displayed the most exciting aerial-based offense in his matches. Most Overrated This is given to the wrestler that is considered to be the most over-hyped when their overall performance is taken into consideration. Most Underrated This is given to a wrestler who has performed memorably throughout the year, but hasn't been hyped up by their company, or who has performed mainly on the undercard. Rookie of the Year This is given to the most talented new comer. Best Non-Wrestler This is given to the person who can be just as important, if not more, than wrestlers. Best Television Announcer This is given to the best television announcer at calling a match clearly and concisely. Worst Television Announcer This is given to the most annoying and least exciting announcer of the year. Best Major Show This is given to the card that is a must-see for all wrestling/MMA fans. Worst Major Wrestling Show This is given to the least enthralling event of the year. Best Wrestling Maneuver This is given to the most innovative wrestler for coming up with an exciting move. Most Disgusting Promotional Tactic This is given to the most distasteful wrestling storyline/event. Worst Television Show This is given to the least enthralling weekly television broadcast. Worst Worked Match of the Year This is given to the match with less enthusiasm than anything else that year. Worst Feud of the Year This is given to the more offensive or least exciting feud. Worst Promotion of the Year This is given to the promotion that needs lots of improvement. Best Booker This is given to the person who can book matches best. Promoter of the Year This is given to the person who can run a company better than anyone else. Best Gimmick This is given to the most entertaining wrestling personality. Worst Gimmick This is given to the least tasteful, exciting, intelligent personality. Best Pro Wrestling Book Best Pro Wrestling DVD Defunct Awards Class A awards Most Impressive Wrestler Most Washed Up Wrestler Strongest Wrestler Best Three-Man Team Most Unimproved Most Obnoxious Best Babyface Best Heel Biggest Shock of the Year Hardest Worker Manager of the Year Class B Awards Best Color Commentator The category was active until 1996. Readers' Favorite Wrestler Readers' Least Favorite Wrestler Worst Wrestler Worst Tag Team Worst Manager Worst on Interviews Most Embarrassing Wrestler Worst Non-Wrestling Personality Decade awards 2000s *Best Wrestler: Kurt Angle *Most Outstanding Wrestler: Bryan Danielson *Best Box Office Draw: Místico *Best Tag Team: Rey Bucanero and Último Guerrero *Best Interviews: Chris Jericho *Most Charismatic: John Cena *MMA Most Valuable: Randy Couture Footnotes Category:Wrestling Observer Category:Professional wrestling awards